Adventure Beyond Boundaries by Richard Bangs (NAPSA)—Have you ever wondered what it might be like to raft through an untouched rain forest with tropical birds, waterfalls and only the quiet sounds of nature around you? Or trek over a high mountain pass, wheretheair is so crisp it gives goosebumps and the " views run to infin- jity? Or sail to a “* tropic isle where - the perfumeofjasmine wafts across the water? 7 It has been my @ pleasure to have Sa enjoyed these Richard Bangs kinds of experiences throughout mylifelong career. For twenty-some years I ran an adventure travel company I founded called Sobek Expeditions (www.mtsobek.com). The company started a new field of travel, “adventure travel,” which took vacationers off the beaches and out of the theme parks and put them into the real thing, into the wilderness, into the far canyons, mountains, deserts and nooks and crannies of the world. We explored wild rivers and sought vistas unseen. We savored the sunset gleaming off a splendid peak, the bright blue blur of a butterfly’s flick, the rush and gush of whitewater, the red eyes of a crocodile in the night. Now we’re about to take this Richard Bangs’ Adventures Fab Five Adventure Travel Gadgets WhatRichard recommendsyoubring along on your next adventuretrip: 1) Digital camera with extended movie function —to capture your memories, bring along a cameralike the Casio EX-5500, which combines MPEG-4 movie capability and 5.0 mexapixel powerina functional, barely bigger than a credit card design 2) GPS device—to find your way home 3) Satellite phone—tocall homefor emergencies or just to brag about your conquestofthat mountain peak 4) High-tech watch—like the Pathfinder PAG5O, which is equippedwith digital compass, barometer, altimeter and runs on tough solar power 5) Solar battery charger—to makesureall of your great gadgets stay powered while you're on that Alaskan glacier this summer. @ concept to its greatest heights yet, with the Yahoo! Media Group, covering real-life adventures in “virtually real” time on the Internet, breaking down geographical barriers. Through Richard Bangs’ Adventures on Yahoo!, every aspiring adventure traveler has a chance to participate in all the earth’s wonders—with a rich multimedia experience, captured in part, by Casio’s Exilim EX-S500, and delivered from the far-flung fields of our planet. Ourfirst adventure is climbing the North Face of the Eiger, the most feared mountain wall in the world of climbing. The challenge is being filmed by MacGillivray Freeman Films, the IMAX theater film production team that gave us “Everest” and “Mystery of the Nile.” But you don’t have to climb the mountain yourself, and you don’t have to wait for the movie: you can join the adventure online, at http://adventures.yahoo.com. WhenI wasa river guide on the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, I found that the best thing about adventureis that it’s personal: every river trip is someone’s first descent, every night spent under the stars is a honeymoon night. You don’t have to climb the highest mountains or dive the deepest depths to call yourself an adventurer—the opportunities for exploration are as varied as your personal bouquetof desires, limited only by imagination. So while we hope you join us as we continue our explorations online, for your own sake get outside and discover or design an adventure of your own. Run the nearest river, cycle through the woods, sail your coastal waters, ride horses or llamas or jeeps to places that fill you with awe. Or just climb the nearest hill to the sunset view—or better yet, catch the sunrise, and greet the new day with thespirit of adventure.
